It will be the purpose of this project to provide for the continuation of an evaluation of a clinical anaerobic bacteriology laboratory service in the College of Dentistry and an opportunity to pursue certain findings which have been made during the initial phase of the project. An important and unique aspect of the project is the use of anaerobic techniques for isolation and culture of strict anaerobes. The culture techniques and criteria for identification are those developed and evaluated by the staff of the Anaerobe Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The use of these techniques and criteria allow us to compare our data with the characterizations of over 9000 strains of obligate anaerobes. Specific objectives of the continuing study include: (1) Determination of antibiotic sensitivity patterns of bacteria isolated from pyogenic oral infections and the suitability of current techniques available for such determinations on oral anaerobic isolants. (2) A determination of the species of bacteria most frequently isolated from oral infections and their probable source. (3) A cost-value assessment of bacteriological laboratory procedures and a determination of the minimum procedures necessary for optimal clinically useful information at reasonable cost to the patient. (4) Development of techniques (fluorescent antibody, selective media etc.) which could speed determinations and reduce the number of procedures necessary to produce useful clinical information. Specimens accepted for complete culturing will continue to be limited to those which lend themselves to isolations in which gross oral contamination can be avoided such as periapical and periodontal abscesses, infections in the course of root canal therapy, etc.